The present invention relates to a knee brace or orthesis to prevent over-stretching of the knee.
Such knee braces are generally known and in use. For instance, in an article entitled "The Swedish Knee Cage", published in the journal "Artificial Limbs", Vol. 12, No. 2, pages 54-57, Fall 1968, a knee brace is described which consists of two lateral guide rails, one each on either side of the knee and interconnected by several straps and clamps. The upper and lower ends of the guide rails, respectively, are connected by a strap. The straps themselves or the retaining loops attached to them are riveted to the guide bars and the strap rests against the front of the thigh and the calf, the correct contact of the straps being achieved through adjustment of their length by means of snap fasteners, on the one hand, and by the deformability of the straps, on the other hand.
At the level of the knee joint, the two rails are interconnected firmly by a semi-circular, rigid cross member and a cushion which supports itself against the hollow of the knee, thus preventing the knee from over-stretching.
This embodiment is considered disadvantageous in that the contact made by the straps in front of the thigh and the calf is incorrect or non-existent, particularly when the knee is bent. This can cause the knee brace to shift, and in addition, place the projecting straps so that they are outlined in an undesirable manner through the clothing--pants or skirt--so as to be clearly visible.
It is an object of the invention to provide a knee brace for the prevention of over-stretching of the knee, consisting essentially of two guide rails, one on each side of the knee, two cross members or straps to connect the respective ends of the two guide rials and to contact the front of the thigh and the calf, and a cross member resting against the hollow of the knee and effecting the locking action. The brace assures a perfect fit from both functional and cosmetic aspects.